3 Easy Steps to Track Your Body Composition

Everyone has different reasons for why they’re training. For many of us, the aesthetic changes can be a huge motivator for us to continue along our fitness journey. We want to look good. We want to increase our energy levels. We want to improve our confidence.

Ultimately, we want to see progress to keep ourselves motivated. We look at ourselves in the mirror a number of times each day. As a result, it’s difficult to see changes in ourselves over such short time frames. In order to stay motivated, we need to have measurable insights so that we can maintain a line of sight to our progress and the bigger picture without losing focus. That’s why it’s important to have strategies in place to make sure that we can objectively see our progress without losing track.

We know the importance of progress. We hear it first hand from our clients and we want to make sure that you’re set up for success. Here are three objective ways to help you stay on track so that you can be focused on the bigger picture over time.

1. Record your average weight

Record your weight at the same time every day and then average out the numbers at the end of the week. Your weight can fluctuate from day to day due to a number of factors including water retention, bowel movements, the food that you’ve consumed, etc. Taking an average will help remove daily fluctuations and give you a better idea of your progress. That being said, it is important to not be too hyper-focused on the number on the scale but also other factors as well. Taking this approach will help you stay aligned with the bigger picture without getting bogged down in daily fluctuations that don’t accurately reflect the progress you are making on a daily basis.

As mentioned in a previous post, I personally recommend investing in a bluetooth scale with built-in tracking. I personally like using the RENPHO scale – it’s about $30 Canadian on Amazon. This scale tracks your weight, body fat, and other factors on a week to week basis, and it syncs in an app so you don’t need to manually log this. It’ll also help with tracking your body fat percentage which is mentioned under point #2 below!

2. Take body measurements each week

You can speak with your personal trainer to help with this, but we recommend having them use calipers which will help measure the “thickness” of your skin. Many grocery stores in Canada also have access to body fat calculators in their pharmacy area which are free to use and an excellent way of calculating your body fat percentage. One that comes to mind is various No Frills stores located in downtown Toronto. It’s also completely free!

You can also measure your waistline with your stomach relaxed. We typically recommend measuring just above your belly button. Remember not to suck in or push out your stomach when taking measurements so that there’s consistency week over week.

3. Take weekly photos

We recommend snapping photos each week to give you a point of reference as time goes on. This can help you notice the subtle improvements each week that will go unnoticed on a daily basis. Since lighting can have a huge impact on your photos, we recommend using the exact same location and lighting so that you’re comparing apples to apples each week. This will help you notice your gains over time which are difficult to make notice of on a daily basis. I recommend creating a folder on your phone or computer so that you can easily look back on your progress without having to dig up individual photos over time. You can ask a friend or loved one to take the photos of you to make it a quick and easy process.

If you follow the above steps, it’ll really help you track progress week over week and you’ll certainly be able to see how far you’ve come on your fitness journey! It’s always important to remember that your fitness journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency always wins so if you have the right mindset and keep at it, you’ll conquer your fitness goals! Measuring progress is a critical part of any fitness journey and your personal trainer will be there for you each step of the way. Based on personal experience, it’s important to be locked into your fitness journey and to have the right mindset going. I wouldn’t be concerned at trying to look for physical progress on a daily, or even weekly basis, but rather being focused on my workouts and nutrition. Over the long-term, if you’re locked in and have the right mentality, you will see progress. Consistency wins the race and we want to make sure that you’re successful.

We’ll also be happy to implement these tracking methods to help keep you motivated and accountable throughout your fitness journey!

If you have any questions or comments, you can reach out to us directly at contact@fithaus.io. If you’re interested in setting up a complimentary trial session, you can email us, call us at 1-888-682-0724 or visit our homepage and we’ll be happy to help. Our team is dedicated to helping you reach your fitness goals and we will be there for you every step of the way. This typically starts with a quick 10 minute phone call with one of our reps which will provide us with the information necessary to pair you with the right personal trainer on our team.